“I wanted to raise expectations of what office space should be,” explains Paul Lee, CEO of production company wiip, which has produced a number of high-profile attractions, including Easttown Sea, Dickinson s the summer was beautiful Since its inception in 2018. “Also, to be honest, I’ve spent a lot of time in the cold aisles of corporate life.”
Lee, who previously ran the ABC Entertainment Group, launched wiip with Matteo Perales, former head of strategy and corporate development at CAA. Backed by the agency, the boutique production company, whose name is a portmanteau of “word”, “idea”, “fantasy” and “production”, was originally based in the offices of CAA Century City.
But Lee decided to move wiip and its 32 employees to a very different space in the heart of Hollywood in 2020, before COVID-19 hits. (The following year, CAA sold a majority stake in the company to South Korea’s JTBC Studios to resolve a dispute with the WGA.)
“I wanted the team to know that this is a completely different kind of studio,” says Lee, “and that it starts with creating a welcoming and inclusive workspace.”
To bring that vision to life, Lee enlisted Jaqui Seerman (who has designed offices for Michael De Luca, Lionsgate Studios and Makeready Studios) to transform a long-abandoned two-story space in a Spanish Colonial-style building on Sunset Boulevard into something vibrant. and vibrant. A welcoming creative environment.
Courtesy of Jess Isaacs
“The building went through a lot of iterations and was pretty run down,” says Serman. The structure was designed in 1927 by silent movie cowboy Fred Thomson as a studio and retail space. Known as the Fred Thomson Building, it was later owned by ventriloquist and television personality Edgar Bergen, who built a radio studio from which he broadcast. The Charlie McCarthy Show for CBS. The building and its large courtyard housed The Cat & Fiddle, a pub frequented by rock stars for 29 years (the restaurant space is now taken up by Superba Food + Bread). The City of Los Angeles declared the building a Cultural Historic Landmark in 2019.
Serman recalls that Lee’s original idea for the new wiip offices came from the hospitality world. “Your inspiring image of him was the living room [at] One of London’s Firmdale hotels – lots of ikats [fabric]Lots of patterns and a high use of modern colors,” says Serman, whose design heritage includes internships for Los Angeles designers such as Waldo Fernandez, Madeline Stewart and Martin Lawrence Bullard. “As a result, my style can range from contemporary Californian Fernandez to more traditional Stewart to wild, eclectic Bullard,” he says of his mentors, “and I feel comfortable working on all of these tracks.
Courtesy of Jess Isaacs
Seerman sees his role as collaborative. “My goal is to walk with my client while pushing them out of their comfort zone rather than coming up with a final design. That way they are engaged and involved.” on Wiip, where future projects include Netflix hole punchThe first scripted drama series from Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions and Adam McKay’s climate change anthology. uninhabited land For HBO Max, he and Lee eschewed layouts dominated by individual offices and created comfortable common spaces that offer plush velvet and leather seating and small tables for group meetings.
Courtesy of Jess Isaacs
In the main conference room, a custom table measures 21 feet. “This is the biggest table I’ve ever made. It goes on forever,” exclaims Seerman. “But it was important for him to be able to fit in. [people] Without the hassle of pulling out extra chairs. It makes people feel uncomfortable.”
Instead of a formal reception room, guests enter a light-filled upper deck (dominated by a pair of arched windows) that offers plush rear seats and a long bench. “We get a lot of pieces from real estate sales to make it more collectible and personal,” says Serman.
“I know that after the pandemic,” he continues, “many people don’t want to go back to their offices because they are cold and isolated. But Paul told me that everyone was looking forward to going back. They are very supportive of the lifestyle, balance, flexibility and people who bring their pets, and they can do so in this wonderful setting. “
Courtesy of Jess Isaacs
This story first appeared in the July 27 issue of The Gossipify. Click here to subscribe.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
